Controller-operating mechanism



No. 626,643- Patented June 6, I899. W. G. WAGENHALS. CONTBOLlER OPERATING MECHANISM.

(Application filed my. 29, 1889.)

(No Model.)

1 I l 1 l n I I I I I I 4 I I frweizzozt pzrsns co wow urns. WASHINOYON n c part of this specification.

' operating switching devices for controllers,

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. WAGENHALS, OF I-IARTWELL, OHIO.

CONTROLLER-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed March 29, 1899.

My improvements relate to mechanism for more particularly such as are provided on electrically-propelled cars, by means of which the current is turned on and off and the speed of the car regulated. These controllers consist, essentially, of a vertically-revolving cylinder provided with insulated metallic contact-bands which are brought into contact with stationary contact-pieces to effect various combinations of rheostat, armature, and field connections, the cylinder being revolved into the various positions to effect the connections by an operating-handle attached to the shaft of the cylinder. It is usual to provide by marks on the cylinder-cover the various working points to which the operatinghandle must be moved to effect the various combinations and under which the car can be properly started, gain its acceleration, and be run at full speed, and it will be very evident that should the motorman pass over these points too rapidly in the handling of the controller a great and useless expenditure of energy will be the result. In fact, the natural tendency of the motorman is to pass too rapidly over the working points, so that it is not extravagant to estimate that on most electric lines from fifteen to twenty per cent. of the current delivered to the car is wasted in the improvident handling of the current at the controller. In addition to this waste of energy the too sudden turning on of the current naturally throws too great a strain on the vital parts of the motor, necessitating much more frequent repairs than would otherwise be the case. Thus the improvident use of the controller both increases the cost of developing the energy and decreases the life of the consumer of the energy, so that in both directions the proper handling of the controller represents a large and very impor- Patent No. 626,643, dated June 6, 1899. Serial No. 710,950. (No model.)

tant element in the economical management ofan electrical plant, to say nothing of the annoyance and inconvenience to passengers in the sudden starting and jerking of the car and the frequent suits for damages arising from this all too prevalent carelessness or improvidence on the part of the motor-man. It is of great importance, therefore, that some means should be provided to compel the motorman to stop at each of the working points of his controller long enough to gain the full benefit of the various rheostat and other connections, while at the same time giving him full control over the operating mechanism in other respects, so as, to enable him to pass rapidly over the intermediate points to prevent the formation of arcs and in no way to interfere with his shutting 01f of the power. It is to overcome these defects and to provide a mechanical means for operating the controller, which it will be impossible to misuse, that my invention is directed; and it consists in its essentials of an operating device or handle with stop mechanism provided therefor at such of the working points of the controller as may be necessary, with means for releasing the stop mechanism and a device to disengage the releasing mechanism after each operation, so that the stop mechanism cannot be again released without repeating the entire operation.

vice to delay the operation thereof as desired,

and in thisway I control absolutely the interval of rest at each working point of the I controller.

In addition to this I combine with the releasing mechanism a retarding deism. Fig. L is a diagrammatic view showing a portion of the stop ratchet-and-dog releasing cam-plate.

My invention, as illustrated, is intended to be applied to any of the well-known forms of controllerin which a vertically-revolving cylinder is employed rotated by means of a handle or crank.

A is the operating-crank, provided with a hub Ct and a squared recess t0 fit over the shaft of the controller-cylinder and having the usual handle 0, by means of Which the crank is operated. The other end of the crank'is provided with a recess, within which the pawl B is mounted, normally held down by the spring d, secured to the crank at one end and bearing on the top ofthe pawl at the other.

O is a ratchet-plate secured to the fixed plate L, mounted on or a part of the controller proper and provided with a series of ratchetteeth e 6, with which the pawl 13 engages as the crank is rotated, the plate being circular in shape to conform to the circular path of the, crank-arm. The ratchet teeth e e are arranged to correspond with the working points of the controller, so that the controller-handle will be stopped at each of these points, or if it is not found necessary or desirable to stop at every working point such of the teeth may be omitted as desired. For the purpose of raising the pawl 13 in order to pass on to the next, point I provide the lever D, which is pivoted to the crank at f and is located for convenience in a central recess in the crank. The inner end of this lever is bent downward and carries pivoted thereto at the lower end the dog E, the lower end of the dog being bifurcated and pivotally mounted on each side of the lever at m. The upper end of this dog E engages the groove g in the pawl 13 and is kept normally in engagement therewith by the spring h, bearing between the lever and dog. The operating-lever is depressed by means of the push-rod E, which passes up through a central recess in the handle c, convenient to the hand of the operator. The depressing of the lever by pushing down on rod F raises the dog E, which in turn carrie's up the pawl B to release it from the ratchet-tooth.

Mounted on a suitable spindle on the lower end of the dog E is a roller H, while secured tothe fixed cover of the controller, a short distance within the ratchet-plate and concentric therewith, is a fixed cam-plate M, provided with a series of projections or cams Zin the pathway of the roller H as the controllercrank is rotated. The highest points of these cams are located a little to the rear of their corresponding ratchet-teeth and as the roller on the dog rides thereon raise or rotate the dog on its pivot and at the top point disengage the dog from the pawl B, so that the pawl will he again stopped by the next ratchettooth. As soon as the dog is disengaged from the pawl it is evident that the pawl cannotbe again raised until the lever D and its dog have returned to their normal position, and the cam-surface, upon which the roller rides, is so formed that this return cannot be had until the pawl B has aboutreached the next ratchet-tooth. There is thus bound to be a stop at each of the working points of the controller to disengage the pawl, which delay, so far as described, will depend on the time taken for the disengaging-lever to return to its normal position. This delay in manycases might be sufficient; but as it is desirable to still further control the length of stop at each working point I locate dash-pots N N at each side of thehub a of the crank and couple the piston-rods p 19 thereof to the side arms 0' r of the lever D, and in this way I regulate the drop of the lever to such interval of time as may be desired. It in this way it takes two seconds or three or four for the return of the lever, the controller-crank must be stopped for this length of time at each point. In order to insure the return of the lever to its normal position, I provide a spring 10, which bears between it and the top of the case.

In order to properly cover my apparatus, I provide a cylindrical cover P, which fits down over the flanges R of the top of the controller, and this cover is secured by screws to the end of crank and to the side armst t thereon, so that the cover P rotates with the crank. This is a convenient method of arranging the device ,but it will be understood that entirely within the spirit of my invention the apparatus could be located within the controller readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention, as above set forth.

The merits of my invention will be obvious from what has been described. Except for the stops at the various working points, the controller-handle can be operated rapidly between intermediate points and in the reverse to shut off the current, and in all respects can be handled with the facility of older devices. The movementof the crank is checked only at the proper points and is held absolutely in check at those points just so long as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 'ent, is-

1. In a controller, an operating device, with stop mechanism therefor, means for releasing the stop mechanism, and a device to disengage the releasing mechanism after each operation, substantially as described.

2. In a controller, an operating-handle, with pawl and ratchet therefor, mechanism for releasing the pawl, and means for disengaging the releasing mechanism after each operation, substantially as described.

3. In a controller, an operatinghandle, with pawl and ratchet therefor, lever, with dog for releasing said pawl, and means for disengaging said dog after each release, substantially as described.

4. In a controller, an operating device with stop mechanism therefor, means for releasing the stop mechanism, and a device to disengage the releasing mechanism after each operation, with means for retarding the releas- 6. In a controller, an operating-handle,

with pawl and rattzhettherefor, lever with dog for releasing said pawl, cam-plate arrangedin the pathway of said dog to disengage same when the pawl is released, and dash-pots to retard the return of said lever to its Working 15 position, substantially as described.

WVILLIAM G. WAGENHALS; Witnesses:

GUY B. TAYLOR, H. GATES EDWARDS. 

